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Alex Parker

Crude calamities - the biggest offshore oil spill disasters - 1 views

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    Oil rig or oil tanker accidents are behind the worst offshore oil spills in history, including the tragic Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010. Offshore-technology.com profiles the world's biggest oil spill disasters based on the volume of oil released.
Benno Hansen

Chevron fined $8bn over Amazon 'contamination' | Dominic Rushe | Environment | The Guar... - 0 views

  • An Ecuadorian judge has ruled that Chevron was responsible for widespread contamination of the country's Amazon basin and fined the company $8bn (£5bn).
  • far below the $27.3bn sought by the plaintiffs – and they may appeal
  • The epic and bitterly fought lawsuit over the "Amazon Chernobyl" has been going on for 18 years. It was brought on behalf of 30,000 people whose health and environment were allegedly damaged by chemical-laden waste water dumped by Texaco's operations from 1972 to 1990. Chevron bought Texaco in 2001.
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  • Chevron had claimed that Ecuador was violating the terms of a 1997 trade pact with the US.
  • According to a report by Sweden's Umeå International School of Public Health more than 30bn gallons of toxic wastes and crude oil had been discharged into the land and waterways of Ecuador's Amazon basin - or "Oriente". This compares to the 10.8m gallons spilled in the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989 in Alaska or 205m gallons spilt in BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster. The report claims there are at least two big oil spills per week in the area. Printable version Send to a friend Share Clip Contact us larger | smaller Environment Pollution · Oil · Energy Business Oil · Commodities World news Ecuador More news Related 7 Jun 2010 Exxon Mobil argues against knee-jerk reaction to Gulf oil spill 31 Aug 2010 Greenland's prime minister lambasts Greenpeace for raiding Arctic oil rig 7 May 2010 Chevron wins access to film-maker's Amazon pollution footage 1 Dec 2010 A climate journey - The Andes: Ecuador's rainforests
firozcosmolance

Chernobyl-What makes it a must watch? - Gossip Ki Galliyan - 0 views

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    HBO's latest offering 'Chernobyl'has grabbed a lot of attention in the last few days since it was released. This mini-series, co-starring Jared Harris, Emily Watson and StellanSkarsgard, is a very grave picturization of one of the worst human disasters in modern history. Written by Craig Mazin (of "The Hangover" Parts II and III fame) and directed by Johan Renck, this five-episode series brings back to life the tragic event of 1986 in erstwhile USSR and does not shy away from showing the horrors committed during that time. It gives the audience a glimpse of the events before, during and after the nuclear explosion, ill effects of which can be seen in Europe till date.
Benno Hansen

We're on the brink of disaster | Salon - 0 views

shared by Benno Hansen on 27 Feb 09 - Cached
  • Every outbreak of violence has its own distinctive origins and characteristics. All, however, are driven by a similar combination of anxiety about the future and lack of confidence in the ability of established institutions to deal with the problems at hand.
  • The riots that erupted in the spring of 2008 in response to rising food prices suggested the speed with which economically related violence can spread.
  • The cost of food is now closely tied to the price of oil and natural gas because petrochemicals are so widely and heavily used in the cultivation of grains
Benno Hansen

Climate Change Could Be Impetus For Wars, Other Conflicts, Expert Says - 0 views

  • discussion has ensued among international-security experts who believe climate-change-related damage to global ecosystems and the resulting competition for natural resources may increasingly serve as triggers for wars and other conflicts in the future.
  • most possibly destabilizing populations and governments: degradation of freshwater resources, food insecurity, natural disasters and environmental migration.
  • the number of world regions vulnerable to drought was expected to rise
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  • “Most critical for human survival are water and food, which are sensitive to changing climatic conditions,”
  • “The associated socio-economic and political stress can undermine the functioning of communities, the effectiveness of institutions, and the stability of societal structures. These degraded conditions could contribute to civil strife, and, worse, armed conflict.”
  • “Large areas of Africa are suffering from scarcity of food and fresh water resources, making them more vulnerable to conflict.
  • “Although climate change bears a significant conflict potential, it can also transform the international system toward more cooperation if it is seen as a common threat that requires joint action,”
  • the seeming conflict between environment and the economy will be best overcome with the recognition that protecting the climate in the best interest of the economy.”
  • “History has shown how dependent our culture is on a narrow window of climatic conditions for average temperature and precipitation,”
Benno Hansen

Biodiversity loss matters, and communication is crucial - SciDev.Net - 0 views

  • at root is the conflict between the need to radically change our use of natural resources and the desire to maintain current forms of economic growth
  • enhancing the media's ability to communicate messages emerging from the underlying science
  • governments signed up to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have missed their 2010 target, set in 2002, of achieving "a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss"
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  • Finally the apocalyptic tone sometimes used in attempts to drive a message home can further hinder the case for constructive action. Too often, it promotes either cynicism or apathy among those who cannot relate these disaster scenarios to their own personal experience.
  • he issues scientists think most important often seem abstract and far removed from the day-to-day concerns of ordinary people
  • sloppy scientific reasoning can have a broad and lasting impact
  • embed this scientific evidence into viable but sustainable economic growth and development strategies
Skeptical Debunker

Italian oil slick reaches key farm center of Parma - Yahoo! News - 0 views

  • Authorities say the spill began Tuesday, when someone opened the cisterns at an oil refinery turned depot near Monza, letting tens of thousands of liters (thousands of gallons)of oil pour unimpeded into the Lambro River, a tributary of the Po. Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the spill. Authorities say it's certain someone intentionally opened the cisterns. By Wednesday, despite efforts to contain the slick with absorbent pads and the closure of hydroelectric locks, the oil seeped from the Lambro into the Po, Italy's longest river, which flows west-to-east across the country. And Thursday, the country's disaster relief chief, Guido Bertolaso, said he expects most of the slick to be cleaned up over the next day. "I believe this is not an irreparable situation," Bertolaso said after meeting with regional officials amid criticism from environmental groups and opposition lawmakers that the government had been slow to respond. "I believe that in the next 24 hours most of this oily mass will be recovered and then, following the course of the river, before it reaches Ferrara and obviously before it reaches the delta, we will be able to recover all the rest," said Bertolaso, head of the civil protection agency. The World Wildlife Fund for Nature says thousands of birds — ducks, herons and others — are nesting and reproducing in the area, which it called one of the most important in Europe. In addition, several fish species — eel, shad and mullet — reproduce in the waters. "The entire ecological and economic system is at risk," WWF warned in a statement. Officials have said water in the area is safe to drink, but provinces have issued fishing and boating bans for affected parts of the Po. Coldiretti said food was safe since farm production is low anyway at this time of the year, and heavy rains have meant that the Po won't be needed for irrigation for some time. "There are no risks for food on the table or damage to cultivation," Coldiretti said in a statement, adding that the rain forecast in coming days means that the oil will be further diluted and the residue dispersed. But those same rains are worrying environmental groups, which have warned that high water levels in the Po mean the oil will spread to the Po's other tributaries and streams, causing broader environmental degradation. And the Confagricultura farm group said the repercussions of the spill will be felt in small tributary farm communities, particularly as water demands increase with the spring planting of rice.
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    Sludge from an oil spill snaked down the Po River on Thursday to reach the province of Parma, raising fears that the home of Italy's famed prosciutto, parmesan cheese and other agricultural staples might be at risk of water contamination. Italian farm lobby Coldiretti insisted Italy's food chain was safe since the Po is not being used for irrigation these days. But another group of farm owners, Confagricultura, warned that the spring planting season - particularly for water-intensive rice crops - might be at risk unless clean water is ensured. The Po River valley, which extends 71,000 square kilometers (27,400 square miles) across several northern regions, produces a third of Italy's agricultural output and represents 40 percent of the country's GDP. Because of its economic importance, officials are warning that farm output might be affected, in addition to the already extensive damage the slick has caused to the area's wildlife.
Alex Parker

Fukushima Floating Offshore Wind Farm - 1 views

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    The Fukushima floating offshore wind farm demonstration project (Fukushima FORWARD) serves as a symbol of Fukushima's recovery from the nuclear disaster caused by the earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
Alex Parker

The winds of change blow for Japan's energy mix - 1 views

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    Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, Japan has struggled as many of its nuclear power plants remain off the grid, forcing the country to turn to expensive foreign gas imports. A new report however by Wood Mackenzie highlights the potential wind power has for transforming the Japanese energy mix. Could a great leap see Japan become a wind powerhouse?
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